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  • Confronting Religious Arguments

    Recently we released a special report on guidelines for addressing religious arguments. This document can serve as a tool that you can use in your community to create dialogue about the immense harm caused to LGBT individuals, especially youth. Download the report here.

    Watch examples of this messaging at work at a recent community forum.

Southern Baptist Initiative

“As an evangelical Christian whose career has been spent in the South, I must say I find it scandalous that the most physically and psychologically dangerous place to be (or even appear to be) gay or lesbian in America is in the most religiously conservative families, congregations and regions of this country. Many of the most disturbing stories in this volume come from the Bible Belt. This marks an appalling Christian moral failure.” [David Gushee, a Christian ethicist, author and Southern Baptist minister, Christian Century, June 2009]

Scripture serves as the standard by which Baptists base their actions and beliefs. Unfortunately, scriptures have been used to justify slavery, prevent women from voting, deny interracial couples the right to marry and other social injustices. As fellow members of the religious community, it is our responsibility to engage those who use scripture as justification to deny gay people equal rights. You should not try to change anyone’s faith but instead start a conversation that will show the persons causing harm the consequences of their actions. Remember, most people want to be more supportive of LGBT rights but they first have to believe their actions are not in opposition with their religious teachings.

The Southern Baptist Initiative seeks to create change one congregation at a time by:

  1. Tell your personal story to church leadership through video and email to help people understand the harm caused by anti-gay beliefs.
  2. Engage your church leadership and encourage them to adopt welcoming policies towards LGBT members. As Baptists, your local congregation has great autonomy and ability to adopt gay-friendly policies.
  3. Write a letter to the editor in your local paper or church publication.
  4. Mobilize others to tell their story by hosting a letter writing or video-recording party.
  5. Submit a resolution to the Southern Baptist Convention calling for the recognition that being gay is not a choice or sin and call for more openness to the LGBT community. Click here for details on submitting a resolution.

If you have questions about the Southern Baptist Initiative or would like help with your efforts email sbcinitiative@faithinamerica.org